Accelerator



Aug. 20, 19 e. A. STEPHENS ACCELERATOR Filed Oct. 25, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet Aug. 20, 1940.

G. A. STEPHENS ACCELERATOR 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 25, 1939 61902.91. SZephens M Wullh/ Patented Aug. 20, 1946 UNlTED STATES PATENTOFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an accelerator device for automobiles.

An object of the invention is the provision of a device which may besubstituted for the usual foot accelerator pedal, or it may be used asan auxiliary to the foot pedal, so that when the operator of a vehiclebecomes cramped or tired from constant operation of the usualaccelerator pedal by the foot he may swing the knee operated lever intoactive position for continued operation of the accelerator by the knee.I Another object of the invention is the provision of a device either asa substitute for the usual foot operated accelerator pedal or as anauxiliary thereto which may be adjusted to accommodate persons ofdifferent heights with the auxiliary device being operated by kneepressure instead of the foot, the knee actuated lever being adapted tobe moved to an inoperative position when desired or moved into positionand automatically locked, the arrangement being such that adjustmentsmay be made at several positions for maintaining the positive operationof the butterfly valve of the carbureter.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device foroperating the butterfly valve of the carbureter by knee pressure inwhich a lever which is acted on by the knee may be swung to an operativeor inoperative position as desired, said lever being rigid with arotatably mounted barrel on a base member with a spring pressed plungeror detent engaging an opening in the barrel for locking the lever in anoperative position.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawingsforming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not con- 40 fined to the disclosure,being susceptible of, such changes and modifications as define nomaterial departure from the salient features of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of my knee accelerator shownapplied to an automobile with parts of the automobile in section.

Figure 2 is a detached plan view of the knee Figure 5 is a verticalsection taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4. t

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of operating levers and linkageforming part of the device. 4

Figure 7 is a View in perspective of a combination of links and leverswhich are adapted to be connected to the accelerator pedal.

Figure 8 is a vertical section of a modified form of the connectionswhere a locking element is employed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings l0 designates an internalcombustion engine having acarbureter Hand a shaft l2 which is connectedwith the usual butterfly valve (not shown) of the carbureter' and fromwhich extends an operating lever l3.

An opening 14 is formed in the cowl l5 of the automobile and throughwhich passes a link I6.

The link extends downwardly beneath the hood I! and is pivotallyconnected at l8 to a lever [B which is pivotally mounted on a bolt 20 atone face of a bracket 2!. This bracket has a right angular portion 22which is connected to the engine It by means of the usual bolt thatconnects the horn bracket to the cylinder block or cylinder head as thecase may be.

A lever. 23 is pivotally mounted on the bolt 20 at the other face of thebracket 2! and is located at an angle to the lever I9. A brace bar 24 isconnected at one end at 25 to the lever IS. The other end of the bar asshown at 26 is connected to the lever 23 intermediate the ends thereof.A lever 30 is pivotally connected at 3| to the upper end of a bracket 32which has a perforated right angular flange 33 bolted to the cylinderhead or to the engine block in any approved manner.

A link 34 has one end connected to a rockably mounted collar 35 which ispivoted on one end of the lever 30. The opposite end of the link 34 isconnected to a collar 36 and one end of the lever 23 is pivotallyconnected at 31 with the collar 36. The collars 35 and 36 may beadjustably positioned along the link 34 in any approved manner. For thispurpose the usual set screws may be threaded into openings in thecollars for engagement with the link 34.

A bracket 40 is secured at 4| to the inner face of the cowl l5 above theopening I4 and extends inwardly from the cowl towards the drivers seat.The free end-of the bracket as shown at 42 is bent downwardly and thenoutwardlyas shown at 43. Thebent portion 43 is secured at 44 to an arm45 of a U-shaped member 45 formed on one end of an L-shaped bracket.The'vertically disposed arm 48 of the bracket 47 is secured by means ofa bolt 49 to the side of the car.

A lever 59 has one end connected at 5| to the link IS. The other end ofthe lever is pivotally mounted on a bolt 52 carried by the arm 45 of thebracket 57 and at the under face of said arm. A second lever 53 ispivoted on the bolt 52 at the upper face of the'arm. A brace bar 55 hasone end connected at 55 to the intermediate portion of the lever 59. Theother end of the bar 59 is pivotally connected at 56 with anintermediate portion of the lever 53. 'It will be noted that the bar 54is provided with a plurality of perforations. 5? which are adapted toreceive the bolt or pin 56 for varying the angles between the levers 59and 53 when desired.

A link 69 has one end pivotally connected at III with the free end ofthe lever 53. The opposite end'of the link is provided with aperforation 62 which is adapted to receive an eye 63 formed on a rod 94Asleeve 65 in the form of a turnbuckle has threaded connections with therod 94 and with a rod 69 which has an eye 6! at its free end.

Alever III is provided with a bolt II at its free end which receives theeye 61 of the rod 66. A barrel I2 has a flattened portion 'I3from whichis mounted a connecting block I l. A pin I5 is threaded into an openingIS in the barrel "I2 and is provided with a head 'I'I received by acounter sunk portion 781 in the top of the block I I. This pin isreceived by a passage 19 formed in the block i -i so that the barrel I2may rotate on the block 14. This block is connected by means of bolts 89with an inturned flange 8i formed at the lower end of the dash 82. Therod III, as shown at 83, is threaded into a passage in the barrel I2 andis, therefore rigidly connected to said barrel.

A lever 85 is rigidly connected by means of bolts 89 to a second barrel81 (Fig. 2.) A bolt 88 has its head 89 counter sunk in the lever 85 andis received by a passage 99 formed axially of the barrel 81. The innerreduced end of the bolt, as shown at 9 I is threaded in a passage 92formed in the barrel I2 whereby the barrel 81 is rotatably mounted onthe barrel I2 while the barrel 'I2 in turn is rotatably mounted on theblock "I4.

A detent or plunger 95 is mounted in a passage 96 formed in the barrelI2 and this passage is adapted to be alined with a passage 9? formed inthe barrel 8'! so that the plunger 95 may be projected into the passage9'! for locking the barrel 81 to the barrel I2. The plunger has areduced portion 98 located in the passage 99 and a coil spring 99engages a shoulder on the plunger 95 and the inner end of the passage95.The spring tends to force the plunger 95 outwardly of the barrel I2 atall times. A knurled knob I00 is connected to the reduced end- 98 of theplunger 95 so that the plunger may be manually withdrawn to remove theinner end of the plunger 95 from the passage or pocket 91 in the barrel81 for a purpose which will be presently explained. As shownmoreparticularly in Figures 1 and 2 a' bolt I9I is carriedby a perforationin the outer free end of the lever 85 and passes through a slot I92formed in an arm I93. A wing nut I94 -which is threaded onto the boltIUI securely 0.

locks the arm I03 in any angular position desired. A pad I95 is securedto the outer end of the arm 33in any approved manner and is adapted tobe engaged by'the knee of the operator for oscillating the arm.

"A"modified'form of the arrangement shown in Figures 4 and 5 isdisclosed in Figure 8 in which two barrels III and III are rotatablyconnected together by means of a pivot pin or bolt H2. A nut H3 on theupper end of the bolt H2 is adapted to clamp the barrel III] to theflange 8| on the lower end of the dash 82 of the vehicle. In this casethe lever 85 is secured at 86 to the barrel III and extends in the samedirection as the lever 95 and is provided with a knee pad and anadjustment for the arm I93 similar to the construction shown in Figures1 and 2.

A plunger or detent I I5 has one end projecting into the pocket II 9 inthe barrel IID for locking the barrel III to the barrel III]. The springII 'I urges the detent I I5 outwardly against manual operation of thedetent by a knurled knob IIB. A rod m similar to the rod 79 in Figure 3is secured to the barrel I I9 so that when the detent I I5 has lockedthe barrels H9 and III together and the lever 85 is oscillated in ahorizontal plane the rod it willlikewise be rocked.

The operation of my device is as follows: The lever 95, and connectedarm I93 may be operated for operating the throttle of the carburetor IIin place of the usual accelerator pedal, and in this case theaccelerator pedal may be dispensed with or the arm 35 may be operatedalternately with the usual accelerator pedal.

When the arm 85 is rocked in the direction indicated by the arrow inFigure 2 the levers 59 and 53 will be rocked through the arm l9 and theturnbuckle connection 95; Rocking of the lever 50 will cause the link Itto oscillate the When it is desired to dispense with the operation ofthe arm I93 for operating the throttle valve of the carbureter and it isdesired to operate the usual accelerator pedal the plunger 95 or theplunger I I5, as the case may be, is'withdrawn so that the lever 85 or95* may be swung to an inoperative position whereby the arm I93 will bemoved out of operative relation with the knee of the operator of thecar.

When it is desired to return to the knee operating device the lever 85is then pulled up into position when the plunger 95 or the plunger H5will automatically slip into their respective pockets in the associatedbarrels when the pockets are lined with the passage 95 in the barrel "I2as the pocket H9 in the member H9.

I claim:

1. A device for actuating the throttle valve oi'a carbureter in anautomobile comprising a block secured to a fixed part of the automobile,a barrel, means rotatably mounting the barrel on the block, a secondbarrel, means rotatably mounting the second barrel on the first barrelso that the second barrel will be revolved in a plane which is at rightangles to the plane of rotation of the first barrel, an arm having oneend secured and having at the innerends thereof, a common ill 7 ing theangular 'pivot, a bar connecting the intermediate portions of the leverstogether, means adjustably connecting the bar to one of the levers forvary-- displacement of the levers, means connecting the rod with theouter end of the last-mentioned lever, means connecting the throttlevalve with the other lever, and means releasably connecting the twobarrels together.

2. A device for actuating the throttle valve of a carbureter in anautomobile comprising a block having a bearing surface and secured to afixed part of the automobile, a barrel having a portion cut away toprovide a flat surface ent gaging the bearing surface on the block,means having a vertical axis for rotatably mounting the barrel on theblock, a barrel having one face contacting one end of the first barrel,means rotatably connecting the barrels together along the horizontalaxis of the second barrel, means releasably locking the barrelstogether, a kneeactuated arm secured to the second barrel, and

means operatively connecting the first barrel with the throttle valve.

3. A device for actuating the throttle valve of a carbureter in anautomobile comprising a block having a bearing surface and secured to afixed part of the automobile, a barrel having a portion cut away toprovide a flat surface engaging the bearing surface on the block, meanshaving a vertical axis for rotatably mounting the barrel on the block, abarrel having one face contacting one end of the first barrel, meansrotatably connecting the barrels together along the horizontal axis ofthe second barrel, a knee actuated arm secured to the second barrel, areleasable means for locking the barrels together, said means whenreleased permitting the arm to be moved to an inoperative position, arod rigid at one end with the first barrel, and means operativelyconnecting the other end of the rod with the throttle valve.

GEORGE A. STEPHENS.

